V-054
Keeping Kids on Their Toes: Continuous Dynamic Adjustment Boosts Executive Function Training
Gabriel Osvaldo Paz1,2, Martina Boscolo1,2, Luis Bustamante3, Daniela Macario-Cabral1,3, Diego Slezak2,3, Andrea Paula Goldin1,2
  1. Universidad Torcuato Di Tella. Escuela de Negocios. Centro de Inteligencia Artificial y Neurociencia (CIAN). Laboratorio de Neurociencia. CONICET
  2. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires 1428, Argentina
  3. Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Computación, Laboratorio de Inteligencia Artificial Aplicada (LIAA)
Presenting Author:
Gabriel Osvaldo Paz
gabrielpaz.uba@gmail.com
For the past 15 years, we have been using the web-based cognitive assessment and training platform Mate Marote with children aged 4 to 8. In a previous study, we evaluated a model of dynamic difficulty progression that proved effective in enhancing children’s attention. In the present study, we compared that model with a revised version designed to overcome its previous limitations. Both training approaches adapt rapidly to the player’s initial level. However, while the original model slows its difficulty progression once a balance point is reached, the revised model continuously adjusts task difficulty through a more precise algorithm. We hypothesized that: (1) executive function performance would improve from pretest to posttest, and (2) gains would be greater in the group trained with the revised model. Results show that both groups significantly improved their attention. However, only the group trained with the revised model exhibited additional improvements in logical reasoning, cognitive flexibility, and working memory. These findings suggest that sustained, individualized dynamic adjustment of task difficulty not only supports motivation but also enhances multiple dimensions of executive functioning, promoting more effective and adaptive training.